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BOWIE ARCHIVE BOUND FOR BRITISH MUSEUM

From Major Tom to Ziggy Stardust and Aladdin Sane, the many faces and inspirations of David Bowie are getting a permanent home in London. Britain’s Victoria & Albert Museum announced that it has acquired Bowie’s archive of more than 80,000 items as a gift from the late musician’s estate.

PUBS, PATIOS & BARS: Santé to Quebec’s booming beer culture

While Quebec is already well-known for its refined gins and wine, the province’s craft beer scene is booming too. With over 150 microbreweries, several summer beer festivals, and a special passport to help promote beer tourism, the province has plenty to offer craft beer-lovers.

HOME ON A CRUISE SHIP: The Dreams and The Realities

Every day’s a holiday is the promise of Life at Sea Cruises. There’s always that moment as you pack up to go home from your cruise when the thought comes up : Why does this have to end? That’s why there’s usually a future cruise desk located conveniently near the reception area.

LISTENING IN: Indie band is our Heart’s desire

For a little over a decade, Seattle’s The Head and the Heart has been looking down from the top of the charts – not so much the mainstream ones, but indie, folk, and alternative.

DISNEY SUES DESANTIS:

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts on Wednesday sued Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his hand-picked oversight board, accusing the Republican 2024 presidential prospect of organising a campaign of “government retaliation” and weaponizing his political power in actions that “now threatens Disney’s business operations, jeopardizes its economic future in the region, and violates its constitutional rights.”

SEABOURN EXPANDS EXPEDITION CRUISING

With Seabourn marking a major construction milestone for its second purpose-built expedition vessel Seabourn Pursuit with a traditional coin ceremony at Italian shipyard this month, there was no better time for the company to call in Canada for sessions with the trade to highlight the cruise line’s growing expedition travel segment.

HOTEL CONSTRUCTION DECLINES GLOBALLY

Worldwide hotel construction activity saw a year-over-year decline in March, with Europe having the biggest decrease of 18.2% and the Asia-Pacific region having the smallest drop of 0.8%, according to STR data. However, a separate report from Lodging Econometrics found the global construction pipeline was up 4% year-over-year in 2022, with the US, Asia-Pacific and Canada all experiencing an uptick in project counts.

FOUR SEASONS UNVEILS NEW DRIVE JOURNEYS

Following the success of the inaugural Four Seasons Drive Experience through Tuscany, the luxury hotel company has introduced two new itineraries the ‘Heart of the Alps’ in June and ‘Napa Valley’ in the Fall will deliver driving experiences that showcase the best of these new itinerary destinations. When not on the road, guests in the Alps will stay at Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues Geneva and Four Seasons Hotel Megève. While in Napa Valley, travellers will stay at Four Seasons Resort and Residences Napa Valley.

BOEING SHORT ON SUMMER PRODUCTION

Boeing’s latest setback with production issues means airlines will have fewer planes than they expected to handle big crowds of travellers this summer. CEO David Calhoun said that delivery delays will remove about 9,000 seats from airline schedules this summer.

UNPACKING CANADIANS’ TRAVEL DESIRES

Travel surveys come in all shapes and sizes – and from some unexpected sources – such as self-described “travel lifestyle brand” Samsonite. Recently, the world’s largest luggage retailer asked 1,000 Canadians to give the “lowdown” on their top travel destination preferences, experiences, and their trip where “it happened.” Here’s a look at the interesting results Samsonite unpacked!

JUST ADD WATER: Finding BC’s best paddling places

From sea kayaking the Howe Sound to canoeing the Bowron Lakes to heli-rafting down the rapids of Golden’s Kicking Horse River, British Columbia is revered as a world-renowned paddling destination, offering an extensive variety of experiences that appeal to every kind of paddler, from novice to expert.

ADVANTAGE EMPLOYEES: Many workers resist return to office

Canada’s federal government recently joined corporate behemoths Amazon and Disney in announcing a mandatory return (at least part-time) to the office. While these public servants work through this transition, employers in Canada continue to face an uphill battle in getting their own employees to do the same.

DEPARTURE DELAYS ON THE RISE: Concerns raised re Canada’s summer travel rush

Canadian airports and airlines logged a large number of flight delays last month, raising questions about their readiness for the summer travel rush. Figures from aviation data firm OAG show large airports and carriers had a much weaker on-time record in March than comparable US outfits – and than their own performance in 2019.

HOW TO WATCH THE CORONATION OF CHARLES III

Whether you’re going to the London for the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, or just happen to be toddling through town at the time, the historic event is guaranteed to be an all-encompassing experience for both residents and visitors, with both pleasures and annoyances certain to reveal themselves in the days leading up to, and during, Coronation Weekend.

SEVEN SUMMER SENSATIONS FROM MSC CRUISES

MSC Cruises’ summer 2023 itineraries include an expansive list of 140 destinations, including renowned hotspots and options off-the-beaten-path destinations. Featuring 22 ships, the cruise line will post more vessels than ever in the Eastern Mediterranean, plus three vessels in the Caribbean with New York as a new embarkation point.

NOVA SCOTIA SHARK TOURISM PROJECT STIRS CONTROVERSY

A proposed tourism project off the coast of Nova Scotia to let people watch great white sharks through the bars of a submerged cage requires a balancing act between sightseeing and the needs of the animals, says one expert.

YOU’RE IN BIG TROUBLE: New trend can dampen flight expectations

What is going on. Yet, another allegedly drunk disruptive passenger on a plane has been detained for a ‘peegate’ incident. The acused was on an American Airlines flight from New York to Delh, when he apparently argued with another passenger and then urinated on him.

JAMAICA’S BARTLETT DECLARES BEST. SEASON. EVER.

The number of tourists flocking to Jamaica soared nearly 100% in the first three months of the year, prompting the country’s tourism minister to declare: “This is the biggest and best winter season Jamaica has ever had in the history of tourism.”

QUEBEC POISED FOR CRUISE REBOUND

Quebec’s international cruise season industry kicked off Sunday with the arrival of the Viking Octantis in the Magdalen Islands, and by the time it concludes Nov. 5 with a visit of Silverseas’ Silver Shadow to Quebec, it is expected to have been the longest season in history.

FLORIDA UPS THE ANTE: ‘Nothing is off the table’

New supervisors leading Disney World’s revamped governing body claimed last week that they had good intentions about collaborating with the company after they were appointed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, but felt betrayed when Disney signed agreements with their predecessors stripping them of most of their authority.

RETAIL ROUND-UP: This week in travel agency news

In this week’s round-up there’s news and notables from Transat Distribution, which has concluded its annual National Leadership Conference (photo), plus Amex GTB, Egencia, Ensemble, and Navigatr.

SEALS TAKE PRECEDENCE ON WAIKIKI BEACH

The birth of an endangered seal at one of Hawaii’s most popular tourism hubs is highlighting the tension between protecting the islands’ fragile ecosystems and maintaining access to the pristine white-sand beaches that attract millions of visitors each year.

NO RELIEF ON THE RADAR: Russian airspace ban means pricier flights

While European airlines are among the most affected by having to reroute planes around Russian airspace, Canadian carriers are impacted too, with planes enroute to East Asia and South Asia forced on hours-long detours daily, and no sign of relief on the radar.

COST VS CONSCIENCE: The dilemma dividing sustainable travel

As many global citizens celebrated Earth Day on the weekend, new research from Booking.com reveals a dilemma where people feel potentially forced to choose between cutting costs and being more mindful about making more sustainable travel choices.

LYNX LINKS MONTREAL, VANCOUVER

Lynx Air is expanding its Montreal network with the introduction of six flights a week between Montreal Trudeau International Airport (YUL) and Vancouver International Airport (YVR) starting June 23.

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